What Is Samjae? Korea's Three Unlucky Years by Zodiac Animal — Full Chart & Meaning

Samjae is a traditional Korean cycle of misfortune said to visit for three years out of every twelve — set not by your age but by your birth-year zodiac animal (Earthly Branch), with the animals grouped in threes by the Three Harmony Combination. The three years are called the entering, settled, and departing Samjae. Every time the calendar turns, the same question comes up: "Am I in Samjae this year?" The good news is that Samjae takes no complicated math — all you need is your zodiac animal (the Earthly Branch of your birth year). If you're not sure of yours, you can check it with the free Saju chart (Manseryeok). This guide lays out, in plain terms, what Samjae is and who's in it when.

At a glance

• Samjae is a stretch of three unlucky years in every 12-year cycle — nine calm years, then three years of Samjae.
• Which years count is set by your zodiac animal (birth-year Earthly Branch), grouped by the Three Harmony Combination.
• The three years, in order, are the entering Samjae (year one), settled Samjae (year two), and departing Samjae (year three).
• Samjae has nothing to do with your age — it's decided by your animal sign alone.
• Check your animal sign and chart with the free Saju chart (Manseryeok).

What is Samjae?

Samjae — literally the "three calamities" — names three kinds of disaster: water, fire, and wind. It refers to a traditional cycle of bad luck said to arrive once every twelve years and stay for three. Nine years pass smoothly, then three years fall under Samjae — which means that over a lifetime, everyone passes through it periodically.

Samjae years by zodiac animal

Samjae arrives in the same years for animals bound together by the Three Harmony Combination (samhap) — signs that share the same elemental energy. Just find the group your animal belongs to.

For example, 2025–2027 — the years of the Snake, Horse, and Sheep — are the Samjae period for anyone born in a Pig, Rabbit, or Sheep year. Those three signs pass through the entering Samjae in 2025, the settled Samjae in 2026, and the departing Samjae in 2027.

The three phases: entering, settled, and departing Samjae

The three years are pictured as a flow: the misfortune moves in, stays put, then moves out.

• Entering Samjae (deul-samjae, year one): the year Samjae arrives — traditionally the one to be most careful in.
• Settled Samjae (nul-samjae, year two): the year Samjae settles in and lingers.
• Departing Samjae (nal-samjae, year three): the year Samjae heads out the door.

Being in Samjae doesn't mean something bad is bound to happen — the healthier reading is a signal that change is in the air, so move through the year with a little extra care.

Frequently asked questions

Which zodiac animals are in Samjae in 2026?

2025–2027 are the years of the Snake, Horse, and Sheep (Sa-O-Mi), so the Pig, Rabbit, and Sheep signs are in Samjae. These three pass through the entering Samjae in 2025, the settled Samjae in 2026, and the departing Samjae in 2027. Note that the animal sign turns over at Ipchun, the "Start of Spring" solar term — so if you were born in January or early February, you may actually carry the previous year's sign, and it's worth confirming precisely.

Does being in Samjae mean something bad will definitely happen?

No. Samjae marks a period viewed as full of change and ups and downs, and it counsels prudence — it isn't misfortune with a reservation. Some people even treat it as a good window for the maintenance and tidying-up they'd been putting off.

Should I count by Korean age or international age?

Neither — Samjae isn't decided by age at all, only by your zodiac animal (birth-year Earthly Branch), so no age math is needed. One caveat: in Saju, the year boundary is Ipchun (the Start of Spring solar term), not January 1, so if you were born around early February, it's the animal sign itself you should double-check.

I've also heard of a "lucky Samjae" — what's that?

Even within the entering Samjae, a year believed to work especially in someone's favor is sometimes called a bok-samjae — a "lucky Samjae." It's a reminder that the same Samjae reads differently from person to person; there is no absolute rule here.

Do I have to get a Samjae-puri ritual done?

It's not an obligation. Samjae is closer to a custom for steadying your mindset. Rituals like talismans or prayers are purely a personal choice — skipping them doesn't invite disaster.

Saju guides worth reading next

• The Twelve Sinsal fully explained — the animal-sign stars to read alongside Samjae
• How to read a Saju chart (Myeongsik) — pin down your animal sign (birth-year Earthly Branch)
• How today's fortune is decided — how a year's or a day's luck is calculated

Wrapping up

In the end, Samjae is a custom of checking which three years of the twelve-year cycle your animal sign lands on. Once you know your group in the table above, you can tell at a glance whether this is one of your years. For a closer look at your own chart and its flow, try the free Saju chart (Manseryeok). And remember what Samjae is — not a fixed verdict on your fate or a 100% forecast of the future, but a reference for entertainment and self-understanding, and a nudge to open the year thoughtfully.